In pinball games, a ball is launched, typically by a spring-operated plunger, onto a playfield about which the ball rolls to strike targets and the like.
A search is always on for new features and actions in pinball or another rolling ball game, so that the interest of the players remains high. While it is of course conventional to launch the ball with a spring-operated plunger, on occasions, pinball games have been provided in which an automatic launcher system is provided, for example, the Centaur brand pinball game. In such a complex system, the ball is launched automatically in a different ball launching path, while also a manual ball launching system and launching path exists, being a different path from the automatic launching system.
Additionally, powered manual launching exists in various pinball games, where the ball is launched in electrically operated games by the press of a button.
In this invention, a rolling ball game is provided in which balls can either be manually or electrically launched from the same ball launching stations, with a simplification of design and a saving of space. This provides a situation where the user may launch a ball at any time, but also the electrically operated system may launch the same ball at any time. Thus a certain measure of competition may take place between the user of the game and a program in the game which automatically launches balls at predetermined times, which may be unknown to the player.
In this invention, a rolling ball game is provided which comprises a playfield plus means for launching rolling balls onto the playfield. In accordance with the invention, means are provided comprising a station where the ball at rest is positioned for launching. Spring-operated, manual plunger means are provided for launching the ball from the station. Additionally, an electrically operated arm is provided for launching the same ball from the same station.
The arm is preferably positioned between a ball at the station and the plunger means, so that the plunger means has to strike and push the arm in order to launch the ball. The arm is pivotally movable to launch the ball, with the power source used to pivotally move the arm being either the plunger means or electrical means for pivoting the arm to launch the ball. The electrical means may for example be a solenoid or any other desired electrical power means, including electrically operated pneumatic means or the like.
Additionally, control means are preferably provided for actuating the electrical means for pivoting the arm and launching a ball in a manner responsive to events of the game. This may simply be a random actuation of the electrical means responsive to initiation of the game, or a series of timed actuations from the beginning of the game or some other event therein, or the like. The electrical means may be actuated by events during the game, for example when a certain target on the playfield is struck, or the like. There is no limitation as to the specific features of the program for when the electrical means for pivoting the arm shall be actuated in the game. Thus, the effect is that the user is frequently surprised by the unexpected launching of balls onto the playfield by the game itself. This adds an added dimension of action and difficulty to the game, to stimulate increased interest by the user.
Also, it is preferred for means for automatically loading balls to the station to be provided. Such means per se are conventional, and are found in other pinball machines. Thus, the player of a game in accordance with this invention may suddenly find himself faced with a playfield full of rolling balls, provided by the automatic ball feeder and the electrical means for actuating the launching arm, as dictated by a control means program which may be present in a microprocessor of the rolling ball game.